Every manufacturing company experiences unique challenges, often related to the industry they’re in or the kinds of products they make. For example, in electronics and high-tech product manufacturing, the big challenges include making parts and components that are quite intricate and ensuring synergy between digital and physical assets.
One way to address these concerns is by investing in a rich in-house tech ecosystem, including sophisticated tools for product roadmapping. In this post, we’ll consider why product roadmapping tools are so valuable to electronics and high-tech manufacturers, and also share some insights for choosing the best product roadmap software.
Explaining Product Roadmaps
First things first: What is a product roadmap?
A product roadmap is a way for teams to visualize the entire lifecycle of a product. This allows a birds eye view of the entire product gestation, from its initial concept through each stage of iteration and revision. Roadmaps allow teams to consider how their individual roles or discreet departments contribute to the product overall, and how different tasks are dependent on one another. Additionally, product roadmaps allow manufacturers to consider all aspects of a product’s useful life, including components like sales, marketing, and customer support.
Product roadmap management is a term that denotes a specific type of software, which allows all stakeholders within a manufacturing company to access product roadmaps for their entire product portfolio. The goal of this software is to ensure that all stakeholders are working from a single source of truth, and that all departments are aligned to the same big-picture business goals.
The Benefits of Product Roadmap Management
Product roadmap software has proven invaluable to manufacturers everywhere, not least in the electronics and high-tech product sector. There are several reasons why:
- Product roadmapping software helps to ensure that all stakeholders and departments are on the same page, oriented around a shared sense of product goals and objectives.
- Access to real-time data assures stakeholders that they’re all working from the same information, reducing errors, redundancies, and miscommunication.
- A good product roadmap provides the kind of long-tail view that enables smart resource allocation, including provision of time, resources, and other materials.
- A product roadmap can also help teams to stay on track with key milestones, including filing for any necessary legal compliance approvals (a big deal in high-tech electronics).
These are just some of the reasons why it pays for electronics manufacturers to invest in product roadmap software… but the question is, which product roadmap tool set is the best?
Choosing the Right Product Roadmapping Software
Not all product roadmap tools are created equal, but there are a few steps manufacturers can take to ensure they’re getting what they need. Here’s what to focus on:
Customization
Your manufacturing business likely has different workflows, uses diverse terminology, and has varied reporting requirements than your peers do. Make sure you find a product roadmapping platform that can be tailored to your company’s needs. Customization is one of the first things to look for with any new piece of tech.
Integration
You probably have a fairly complex tech ecosystem in place already. Ensure that any new additions can work well with your existing tools. For instance, it may be important for you to double-check that your product roadmap can work hand in hand with your CRM, without any friction points.
Scalability
Your business may evolve and grow over time, which is certainly something to take into account when looking for any new software solution. Look for a product roadmap software that can accommodate greater complexity, without the need for a full system overhaul.
Ease of Use
The best product roadmap platforms are fairly intuitive, making it easy for your team members to get up and running. If your user interface is too complicated, it will require you to invest in a higher level of training for your team members.
Use Product Roadmapping to Keep Your Manufacturing Enterprise on Track
As you consider ways to make your manufacturing company more competitive, it’s important to think about the different tech tools that can keep your team members fully aligned. Product roadmap software belongs at the top of the list. Consider how you can use product roadmaps to keep up with increasingly intricate products and portfolios.
